Ithaca Mag-10 cycle issue Input

Dave Shady Larsen

Dave Shady Larsen

Well-known member
was going to buy the SPRING KIT from Wolff anyways BUT.

last season late sometimes shell would hang up in the exit and not eject fully. that was
with winchester ammo. remington about the same on crows.

Took it out again to shoot some trap with estate #2's and she wouldnt even cock the
hammer let alone load the next shell. Always cleared the chamber but no reload.

Wolff sells 2 different spring kits. One with a low power recoil spring and one with a extra power.

I called wolff and tech there didnt know what to tell me lol.. never heard of estate ammo.

Im guessin lower powered recoil spring is in order for the gun.

Whatcha think
 
Dave
I had the same problem when I first bought mine and had to use the early steel shot loads. Try this fix first. Remove the trigger assembly and you will see a lever that sticks up on the left side. This lever trips the shell feed from the magazine. You will notice that it will have alot of play or sloppiness to it. If this lever does not trip the shell feed at the right time you will get a jam as you have described. You need to reduce the extra play in this lever. You need some brass or stainless shim stock that will equal 0.030" thickness. On the opposite side of the assembly you will find a D ring that fits over the hollow pin that holds the lever in place. Make a washer that will fit over hollow pin and under the D ring. This should take the play out of the lever and give the correct timing for the shell feed. Also, see if the bolt slide has dug into this lever. If soo, then you should remove the bolt slide and stone off the sharp edge that contacts the lever. I have the original springs in mine and it has always works well with this fix as long as the action is kept clean and I use a dry lube in cold weather.

Remember that the Mag-10 was designed for heavy lead loads. If you have the same problem of short recoil with heaver loads then yours may already have a heavy spring in it. Also, make sure your gas ports are clean an no one has tampered with them if this is was a used gun purchase. If you know how to remove the recoil spring, then check to see if some did not add an extra cheater spring to give it more strength.


.
 
Last edited:
Thanks Dennis I will check that out.

After I bought the gun i stripped it totaly down and went thru it re-finished the wood ect.
Springs I dont know if they are OEM or not. The BBL was cut to 26" and Tubed also by a prior
owner. Who knows if they already put the HEAVy kit in or not.

I ordered the kit from Wolff and got BOTH recoil springs and will see what gives and compare
to the one that is in there already also. kit was only 21$ and extra spring 12$ what the heck.

Ill check out the things you mention though and see.
 
My first thought was plugged gas ports in the barrel. Stick the correct size wire drill up them and twirl the sludge from wads and powder and cleaner out of them.
 
Dave
Since the barrel was trimmed to 26", the person who set it up this way may have been a turkey hunter. Ballistic Products has a turkey load that uses 3oz. of #6 lead shot for the 3 1/2 10ga. The gun originally can with a 32" barrel and this longer barrel is great for pass shooting. I also have a 28" I bought from Ithica that I had choke tubes installed. This makes for a fast swing with better balance. Also, check to see if the forcing cone has been lengthened for steel shot. Some the newer 10ga. steel ammo from winchester have loads in the 1450 fps. range. I get the most out of my 10ga. by reloading larger steel shot that are buffered.


.
 
Last edited:
Also check the chamber is clean and shines inside. Autos and ejectors that sit sometimes get balky if the steel is not v. clean in the area of the shells brass head.
A dowel with some 4 oooo steel wool on a drill will clean it up.
 
Ithaca Mag 10. Notorious for not cycling properly, especially when shooting straight UP. Had one for many years consulted many gunsmiths and the factory. Had the gas port in the barrel made larger (not by much), and it worked just fine. Now I have the Remington Mag 10, and my buddy still has his Ithaca Mag 10.


my 2 cents
 
Just out of curiosity, what do you reckon that Ithaca weighs (loaded). My buddy had an ithaca 10 ga auto that I we took along as a backup on a hunt years ago. We had to do a portage in the canoe to get to our spot and I carried it a ways. It must have been close to 12-15 lbs. I couldn't believe how much heavier it was than our 12 gauges.
 
Yup they are heavy that's why when ya swing em they do not stop and ya make the shot. Also ya can shoot em all day and for many days in a row and no Pain, no black and blue and no flinch. I'm 73 and can still carry mine when I need to. If ya like pass shooting, fewer shots with a gun made for the job. I used the 10ga for turkey and hauled it all over creation years ago. Now my Model 12 12ga. 3" duck gun works just fine and it is not light. When I can no longer carry the guns that I like to use it's time to hang it up. I own light 12ga. shotguns, and they are fine until ya get lotta shooting over many days then they beat the hell outta me. I never used the 10ga in any of my duckboats, or shot it from a boat always feet on the ground or in a blind of some kind.


my 2 cents
 
don novicki said:
My Mag-10 weighs right around 11.5 lbs. It's all factory with a 32" barrel
Click to expand...

Don,

My Mag 10 was also 32" barrel and full choke (prior to steel shot). Once steel became the law Briley opened the choke to Mod. and with the gas port larger it worked just fine. I traded it for the Remington SP 10 cuz of the shorter barrel and screw in chokes. They each pack a wallop with lead but steel is a breeze. After long seasons of hard use I'd take them to a very good gunsmith and have them broke down cleaned and checked for issues.

Best regards
Vince
 
Vince Pagliaroli said:
Don,

My Mag 10 was also 32" barrel and full choke (prior to steel shot). Once steel became the law Briley opened the choke to Mod. and with the gas port larger it worked just fine. I traded it for the Remington SP 10 cuz of the shorter barrel and screw in chokes. They each pack a wallop with lead but steel is a breeze. After long seasons of hard use I'd take them to a very good gunsmith and have them broke down cleaned and checked for issues.

Best regards
Vince
Click to expand...

Hey Guys, this thread is over 15 years old. The OP hasn't posted in over a decade.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top